And according to the word of God poverty is trouble. . .an affliction.

1 Chronicles 22:14 says:

“Now, behold, in my trouble I have prepared for the house of the Lord an hundred thousand talents of gold, and a thousand thousand talents of silver; and of brass and iron without weight; for it is in abundance: timber also and stone have I prepared; and thou mayest add thereto.”

The Hebrew word fortrouble is `oniy (H6040) and it is defined as:

“affliction, poverty, misery”

“Now, behold, in my poverty I have prepared. . .”

When it wasn’t convenient for me. . .I gave significantly into building the kingdom of God.

The same Hebrew word appears in Exodus 3:17 which says:

“And I have said, I will bring you up out of the affliction of Egypt unto the land of the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites, unto a land flowing with milk and honey.”

The verse could actually read like this.

“And I have said, I will bring you up out of the poverty of Egypt. . .unto a land flowing with milk and honey.”

One more scripture. . .Job 36:15 says:

“He delivereth the poor in his affliction, and openeth their ears in oppression.”

“But there will be no poor among you, for the Lord will surely bless you in the land which the Lord your God gives you for an inheritance to possess, If only you carefully listen to the voice of the Lord your God, to do watchfully all these commandments which I command you this day.”

Let me get this straight. . .

First, there will be NO poor among you.

Second, the Lord will bless you.

Third, God is giving you an inheritance to possess.

Fourth, If only. . .

Fifth, you listen to His voice.

Sixth, do all His commandments

Seventh, which he will give you this day.

I’d say that’s seven pretty powerful things about Deuteronomy 15:4-5.

Some people cite Mark 10:21 as to why you and I should be poor. . .or living in lack. The verse says:

“And Jesus, looking upon him, loved him, and He said to him, You lack one thing; go and sell all you have and give [the money] to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come [and] accompany Me [walking the same road that I walk].”

By the way. . .notice Jesus said give it to the poor.

Giving should always be a choice and never a function of a government to redistribute your money to others. The only redistribution of wealth in the Bible is found in Matthew 25. . .the parable of the talents. But alas, that’s another teaching.

When you consider Mark 10:21. . .you should also consider Ephesians 6:8 which says:

“Knowing that for whatever good anyone does, he will receive his reward from the Lord, whether he is slave or free.”

When you do something for anyone else. . .you will be rewarded. . .not by the person(s) you blessed but by the Lord.

Now I can get excited about the Lord doing for me. . .what I’ve done for others.

Being poor doesn’t make you holy any more than being rich makes you a saint. It’s the condition of a person’s heart not the balance in their checkbook that determines whether or not someone is holy.

Proverbs 21:17 in the New Living Translation says:

“Those who love pleasure become poor; those who love wine and luxury will never be rich.”

Being poor doesn’t make you holy any more than going to Arby’s makes you a roast beef sandwich.

Poverty is not be equated with holiness or righteousness.

Leviticus 20:7 in the Message Bible says:

"Set yourselves apart for a holy life. Live a holy life, because I am God, your God. Do what I tell you; live the way I tell you. I am the God who makes you holy.”

3. Being poor doesn’t make you a more effective person.

I heard someone say that a poor person has more time to do things effectively. The basic premise of such a statement is totally incorrect. . .if a poor person could do things more effectively. . .they wouldn’t still be poor.

People who work hard become rich. Did I make that up? Nope, it’s in the Word.

Proverbs 10:4 in the New Living Translation says:

“Lazy people are soon poor; hard workers get rich.”

However, if you don’t work hard. . .if you just sit back. . .you will suffer the economic consequences.

Proverbs 24:33-34 in the Message Bible says:

"A nap here, a nap there, a day off here, a day off there, sit back, take it easy—do you know what comes next? Just this: You can look forward to a dirt-poor life, with poverty as your permanent houseguest!"

4. Being proud of being poor is selfish and self righteous.

I will always remember the man who with great pride told me that all he needed was enough money for himself and his family. I asked if he was serious about that statement and he emphatically said, “Yes.” I proceeded to tell him that was the most selfish and unscriptural attitude that I’d heard in a long time.

I reminded him that the scripture tells us that we’re to care for the widows and orphans.

James 1:27 says:

“Religion that pleases God the Father must be pure and spotless. You must help needy orphans and widows and not let this world make you evil.”

How can you care for the orphans and widows if you’re so broke you can’t pick up all the pieces?

5. Being poor isn’t permanent if you don’t want it to be.

I have often said that there is something much worse than being poor. . .it’s to have a poor attitude.

Being poor is a temporary state. . .poor thinking is an attitude that oftentimes has been years in the making. . .thus filling your sub-conscious mind (your mental hard drive) with lots of negative and self-limiting thoughts. BUT GOD can change the way you think.

Romans 12:2 in the New Living Translation says:

“Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.”

6. Being poor is expensive.

People who are poor are victimized on several levels. It costs money to be poor.

Most banks are moving out of inner city neighborhoods and check cashing services are moving in. These services are designed to exploit poor people with high interest rates. Poor people seldom have checking accounts. They pay their bills with money orders which cost more than a good checking account when it’s done month after month.

Sadly, there are people who are taking financial advantage of the poor and scripturally speaking that in itself is not a very smart thing to do.

Amos 8:4-6 in the Message Bible:

“Listen to this, you who walk all over the weak, you who treat poor people as less than nothing, Who say, "When's my next paycheck coming so I can go out and live it up?

How long till the weekend when I can go out and have a good time?" Who give little and take much, and never do an honest day's work. You exploit the poor, using them—and then, when they're used up, you discard them.”

7. Being poor is a magnet.

Without question, your financial attitude will draw to you. . .people who feel the way you do. You are either blessed or cursed by your associations.

Proverbs 13:20 in the Message Bible says:

“Become wise by walking with the wise; hang out with fools and watch your life fall to pieces.”

People with negative and/or sinful behavior will try to bring you down to their level. . .they will never naturally seek to rise to your level.

1 Corinthians 15:33 in the Amplified Bible says:

“Do not be so deceived and misled! Evil companionships (communion, associations) corrupt and deprave good manners and morals and character.”

By bringing you down. . .it’s the only way they can feel good about themselves.

Proverbs 19:4 in the New Living Translation says:

“Wealth makes many “friends”; poverty drives them all away.”

If God’s Word commanded us to be poor, we would obey. But God’s Word does not advocate poverty!

Ephesians 1:18 says:

“The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints.”

The Greek word translated riches in this verse is ploutos. It is from a root word that means to “fill.” Its literal meaning is “money, possessions.”

Figuratively it refers to “abundance, riches, valuable bestowment.”

Our inheritance as sons and daughters of the King of kings is a life free from want and poverty.

Poverty is not godly, and it certainly isn’t biblical. God wants us to open our eyes to see the invisible world—to see the blessings He has in store for all those who love Him.

God intends for you to have all your needs supplied according to His riches in glory.

Not only that. . .we’ve just proven. . .scripturally. . .that poverty is nothing but trouble.